Abu Dhabi's brand new Yas Island Marina circuit...The Formula 1 Grand Prix from Oct 30 to Nov 1: Spread over 4 days, the Ferrari Theme park, located next to the grandstands, was the venue for the after race international concerts, with Beyonce, Kings of Leon, Jamiroquai & Aerosmith. This exciting array of nonstop entertainment came on the back of a month long YASALAM festival of free beach concerts & outdoor cinema plus more.... & prior to that , The International Middle East Film Festival. So it has been non-stop entertainment in the usually slow city of Abu Dhabi.....looks like a more energetic pace of life has arrived in Abu Dhabi as the months cool down .... The Ferrari theme park is a stunning architectural structure..still under completion, but with its main structure complete, it provided a ... read more

Al Ain, is the oasis town in the centre of the United Arab Emirates, where for many years, tribes & locals from Abu Dhabi & surrounds, who worked on the coast for their fishing/pearl diving & trade, travelled inland to this oasis in the summer months for some cooler relief. What was once a long arduous camel ride is now a 1 & 1/2hr freeway drive from Abu Dhabi island. It nears the border of Oman, surrounded by the Hajir mountains which divides Oman & UAE....so that's a bit of background! We headed off, zooming down the freeway, passing turban clad men wandering & squatting by the sides of the desert highway....hitching rides or doing the long walk home in the mid-day heat... past "farms"..the kind you get in the desert... penned off areas.... sand-dunes & ... read more

Tall towers of air conditioned comfort, generally shield us from the approaching desert on our doorstep. Abu Dhabi island is surrounded by desert, once you are near the edge of town, behind the smaller buildings & bitumen roads lies a vastness of desert, which links each city here. Driving to Ras Al Khaimah (Northern coastal Emirate of UAE) we pass a deepening orange sand spreading out into dunes, revealing groups of camels searching shade. The odd hut pops up in amongst the dunes providing relief for its owners, as relief for most of us travellers is in the comfort of our airconditioned cars... zooming us across long stretches of bitumen, with wide views to the horizon. Destination Ras Al Khaimah Resort... As always, a contrast to the surrounding villages & older Emirate that Rak is. Rundown ... read more

Melbourne offers cool relief from Abu Dhabi's extreme summer heat. Freshness in the air,.. fog, not sandstorms!..some rain,..some clouds & a clear technicolor view as opposed to the dusty sandy haze of Abu Dhabi in summer!.... A chill in the mornings & evenings, and sunny days to enjoy those long cafe lates in the alley cafes around the city, Degraves Lane & Centre Place , cafe no.5 a must! Paul & I soaked up Melbourne in winter. A luxurious stay at the Westin.. divine dinner at Momo's, & from Movida birthday dinner to take away pizzas in Elwood... A visit to Vic Market, bushwalking on Phillip Island, Elwood beach & canal walks & several games of footy at the G...the MCG....July in Melbourne. This all coincided with my solo exhibition at Flinders Lane Gallery, so a ... read more

Arabia.. exotic..mysterious..arabic influence designs, Morrocan style buildings.. veiling and unveiling.. illuminated by soft light..... sensuous domes... exotic fabrics... dreams & aspirations to experience & see all this....... Abu Dhabi's Shangrila offers a glimpse of this experience...... read more